Related papers: On the Free Will Theorem
This paper builds on no-go theorems to the effect that quantum theory is inconsistent with observations being absolute; that is, unique and non-relative. Unlike the existing no-go results, the one introduced here is based on a…
We demonstrate that the physics which resolves naturalness problems need not take the form of new particles and can sometimes manifest itself as higher dimensional operators. As a proof of principle, we present a simple model where the…
Based on the principle of causality, I advance a new principle of variation and try to use it as the most general principle for research into laws of nature.
Experiments motivated by Bell's theorem have led some physicists to conclude that quantum theory is nonlocal. However, the theoretical basis for such claims is usually taken to be Bell's Theorem, which shows only that if certain predictions…
Free will is fundamental to morality, intuition of self, and normal functioning of the society. However, science does not provide a clear logical foundation for this idea. This paper considers the fundamental scientific argument against…
This article summarizes our recent efforts to understand spontaneous quantum vacuum forces and torques, which require that a stationary object be out of thermal equilibrium with the blackbody background radiation. We proceed by a systematic…
Wave-particle duality, intertwining two inherently contradictory properties of quantum systems, remains one of the most conceptually profound aspects of quantum mechanics. By using the concept of energy capacity, the ability of a quantum…
The principle of equivalence postulating that an acceleration is indistinguishable from gravity by any experiment, is valid within families of particles having the same passive gravitational to inertial mass ratio $m_p/m_i$. Presently…
Agreement theorems are no-go results about rational disagreement: if two agents start from a common prior and their posterior beliefs are common knowledge, they cannot assign different probabilities to the same event. Standard treatments of…
In the absence of empirical confirmation, scientists may judge a theory's chances of being viable based on a wide range of arguments. The paper argues that such arguments can differ substantially with regard to their structural similarly to…
We show that the conclusion of a recent experiment [arXiv:0912.3934] that claims to have discovered that "the speed of light seems to depend on the motion of the observer" is wrong.
According to the widely accepted opinion, classical (statistical) physics does not support objective indeterminism, since the statistical laws of classical physics allow a deterministic hidden background, while --- as Arthur Fine writes…
The constancy of the speed of light (the maximum velocity of interaction) is the second postulate of Albert Einstein's special theory of relativity. Currently, there is no correct theoretical proof of this constancy in all inertial frames…
We propose a complete proof of the Born rule using an additional postulate stating that for a short enough time {\Delta}t between two measurements, a property of a particle will keep its values fixed. This dynamical postulate allows us to…
We introduce the notion of additive filter and present a new proof of the existence of idempotent ultrafilters on N without any use of Zorn's Lemma, and where one only assumes the Ultrafilter Theorem for the continuum.
We postulate a principle stating that the initial condition of a physical system is typically algorithmically independent of the dynamical law. We argue that this links thermodynamics and causal inference. On the one hand, it entails…
{We point out some obstacles raised by the lost of symmetry against the extension to the case of an interacting particle of the approach that {\sl deductively} establishes the Quantum Theory of a free particle according to the group…
Free theorems are a popular tool in reasoning about parametrically polymorphic code. They are also of instructive use in teaching. Their derivation, though, can be tedious, as it involves unfolding a lot of definitions, then hoping to be…
We derive a formula for the moments and the free cumulants of the multiplication of $k$ free random variables in terms of $k$-equal and $k$-divisible non-crossing partitions. This leads to a new simple proof for the bounds of the right-edge…
It is shown that no theory that satisfies certain premises can exclude faster-than-light influences. The premises include neither the existence of hidden variables, nor counterfactual definiteness, nor any premise that effectively entails…